The Nutritional Needs of Teenagers

At about 10 or 11 years of age, many girls experience a growth spurt that continues until about age 15. Boys have a similar growth spurt. It usually starts around age 12 or 13 and ends at about age 19. These growth spurts place a strain on the body-especially for those who are not eating the right nutrients.

Iron and calcium are especially important during adolescence. All teenagers need iron to support an increasing muscle mass and a larger blood supply. Furthermore, girls lose iron with their monthly period. Calcium is important for growing bones, and if you don't get enough in your teen years, you risk losing bone mass later. The International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC) says that teenagers need about 1,300 milligrams of calcium every day, but just two girls in 10 and five boys in 10 ages nine to 19 receive enough, according to a May 2002 article in U.S. News and World Report. The average calcium consumption is closer to 800 milligrams a day. I Researchers at the University of Hawaii may have discovered a new incentive for getting the right amount of calcium. In their April 2003 study, they divided 323 girls between ages nine and 14 into two groups. One group of girls ate as usual and consumed on average 881 milligrams of calcium a day. The girls in the second group received more than 1,500 milligrams of calcium a day. The result? The girls in the group that received more calcium weighed less and had lower body fat. In fact, on average, they were 1.9 pounds lighter for every 300 milligrams of calcium they consumed. More studies are needed before these findings can be considered conclusive, but they do show the importance of calcium in the diet.

You can get the recommended amount of calcium by eating three servings of dairy products a day. Consuming shellfish, seeds, calcium-fortified soy products, calcium-fortified juice, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables are other good ways to include more calcium in your diet.

Zinc is another important nutrient during adolescence. It plays a part in sexual development and maturation. Vitamin Bn and other B vitamins help ensure healthy nerve and blood cells. Folic acid, which is also called folate, is a B vitamin found in fruits, green leafy vegetables, and fortified cereals. Some birth defects have been attributed to a lack of folic acid during pregnancy.

Getting the right amount of calories is important, too. Severely restricting calories can compromise the body's ability to grow. Teenage girls, active women, most children over age 6, and many inactive men need about 2,200 calories per day, according to the USDA. Teenage boys and active men need about 2,800 calories.